Jan Mayen (2005) | British Virgin Islands (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911) 65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 3 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. |
Birth rate | - | 14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
Capital | - | Road Town |
Climate | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 124.1 km | 80 km |
Constitution | - | 1 June 1977 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | - | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $36.1 million (1997) |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
Economy - overview | Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island. | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 35.43 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | - | 38.1 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) |
Ethnic groups | - | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed |
Exchange rates | - | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | - | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | - | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand |
Exports - partners | - | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 71 00 N, 8 00 W | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
Geography - note | barren volcanic island with some moss and grass | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
Highways | - | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering |
Imports | - | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | - | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery |
Imports - partners | - | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
Industries | - | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.5% (2002) |
International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
Labor force | - | 4,911 (1980) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2001) |
Languages | - | English (official) |
Legal system | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply | English law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 76.27 years
male: 75.24 years female: 77.36 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA female: NA |
Location | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Arctic Region | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Norway 1 registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Norway | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Territory Day, 1 July |
Nationality | - | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
Natural hazards | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | none | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2005 est.) |
22,187 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | 2.06% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Road Town |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998) |
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | - | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 11,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 8,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 3% (1995) |